VK2735 for Weight Loss: Oral GLP-1/GIP Results and Current Status

VK2735 is an investigational dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist being studied for weight loss in both oral and injectable forms. The oral tablet has shown meaningful short-term weight loss in Phase 2 data, but it is not FDA-approved and does not yet have long-term Phase 3 results.

In a 13-week Phase 2 oral trial, once-daily VK2735 produced up to 12.2% mean body weight reduction from baseline, compared with 1.3% for placebo. The main caution is tolerability: gastrointestinal side effects and treatment discontinuations remain important to watch.

This article focuses on the oral VK2735 tablet, with subcutaneous VK2735 included only where it helps explain the broader development program.

Who this is for: Readers tracking oral GLP-1/GIP weight-loss drugs, clinical trial results, and VK2735’s development status.

Who this is not for: Anyone trying to buy, compound, or use VK2735 outside a regulated clinical trial.

Reviewed by VerifiedSupps Editorial Team • Last reviewed: May 12, 2026

Does VK2735 work for weight loss?

Early clinical data suggest VK2735 can produce clinically meaningful weight loss, but the oral formulation still needs longer Phase 3 trials. The best current evidence for oral VK2735 is a 13-week Phase 2 dose-finding study.

VK2735 is designed to activate both GLP-1 and GIP receptors. That places it in the same broad dual-incretin category as tirzepatide, though VK2735 remains investigational and should not be assumed to have the same final efficacy, safety, dosing, or approval status.

For readers comparing multi-receptor obesity drugs, our guide on how retatrutide works explains a related but distinct multi-agonist strategy. VK2735 is a dual GLP-1/GIP agonist; retatrutide is being studied as a triple agonist.

How much weight did people lose with oral VK2735?

In the 13-week oral Phase 2 study, the highest VK2735 dose group lost an average of 12.2% of body weight from baseline, compared with 1.3% for placebo. Weight loss was dose-dependent and continued through week 13 without a reported plateau.

The same trial reported that up to 97% of VK2735-treated participants achieved at least 5% weight loss, compared with 10% for placebo. Those are encouraging responder data, but they come from a controlled short-term trial and should not be interpreted as typical real-world outcomes.

Viking also reported an exploratory maintenance cohort in which participants were titrated to 90 mg daily and then reduced to 30 mg daily. Weight loss appeared to continue or be maintained after the dose reduction, but this was exploratory and needs confirmation before drawing firm conclusions.

A separate subcutaneous VK2735 Phase 2 study reported up to 14.7% mean weight loss after 13 weekly doses. That supports the broader VK2735 program, but oral and injectable results should not be compared as if they were tested head-to-head.

What oral VK2735 dose was used in trials?

Oral VK2735 has no approved dose. The Phase 2 oral trial studied once-daily doses of 15, 30, 60, 90, and 120 mg, with titration used in the higher-dose groups.

This matters because trial dosing is not the same as patient dosing. A Phase 3 program may use different starting doses, titration steps, maintenance doses, or eligibility rules depending on safety and regulatory feedback.

• Lower-dose arms: 15 mg and 30 mg were studied as daily doses for 13 weeks.
• Higher-dose arms: 60, 90, and 120 mg arms used gradual dose escalation.
• Phase 1 oral data: Earlier 28-day testing included doses up to 100 mg daily and reported up to 8.2% mean weight loss from baseline.
• Maintenance question: An exploratory arm suggested lower-dose oral maintenance may be possible, but this is not established.

The practical takeaway is simple: there is no safe consumer dosing protocol for VK2735. Anyone seeing VK2735 sold online should treat that as a major red flag. For broader context, read our science-based overview on whether peptides are safe.

When could VK2735 be approved or available?

VK2735 is not approved for weight loss as of May 12, 2026. Viking’s most recent corporate update said oral VK2735 Phase 3 initiation is expected in the fourth quarter of 2026.

The injectable version is further along. Viking’s VANQUISH Phase 3 program for subcutaneous VK2735 includes two 78-week trials: one in adults with obesity or overweight with weight-related comorbidity, and one in adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes. Viking reported that both trials were fully enrolled in the first quarter of 2026.

That does not mean approval is imminent. Phase 3 trials must be completed, analyzed, submitted to regulators, and reviewed. The final label, dose, warnings, and eligible population are still unknown.

• Oral VK2735: Phase 2 complete; Phase 3 expected to begin later in 2026.
• Subcutaneous VK2735: Phase 3 VANQUISH trials ongoing and fully enrolled.
• Maintenance dosing: Separate study ongoing, with data expected in 2026.
• Commercial availability: Not available unless and until regulatory approval is granted.

What are the side effects of VK2735?

The most common VK2735 side effects reported so far are gastrointestinal, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal discomfort. Most reported events were mild or moderate, but discontinuations were not trivial in the oral Phase 2 trial.

In the 13-week oral study, adverse-event discontinuation occurred in 20% of VK2735-treated participants versus 13% with placebo. Overall treatment discontinuation was 28% with VK2735 versus 18% with placebo, and the highest-dose group had a 38% early treatment discontinuation rate.

• Nausea: Reported in 58% of VK2735-treated participants versus 48% with placebo.
• Vomiting: Reported in 26% of VK2735-treated participants versus 10% with placebo.
• GI timing: Events were generally reported early in treatment and decreased with repeat dosing.
• Severity: Viking reported that 99% of GI-related treatment-emergent adverse events were mild or moderate.

Those data are encouraging in some respects, but they do not remove the need for caution. A 13-week trial cannot fully answer questions about gallbladder events, pancreatitis risk, dehydration risk, kidney complications, nutritional adequacy, lean mass loss, or rare adverse events.

Rapid weight loss can also reduce lean mass if nutrition and resistance training are neglected. For related context, see our article on retatrutide and muscle loss and our guide to how much protein you actually need.

Who should avoid VK2735 or be especially cautious?

Outside a registered clinical trial, everyone should avoid VK2735. It is investigational, and there is no approved product, dose, prescribing label, or consumer safety framework.

If VK2735 eventually reaches prescribing review, caution will likely be especially important for people who overlap with known GLP-1 and dual-incretin risk groups. The final contraindications would depend on the approved label, if one is granted.

• People who are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or breastfeeding.
• People with a history of pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, or severe gastrointestinal motility disorders.
• People using insulin or sulfonylureas, where appetite changes and glucose effects may increase hypoglycemia risk.
• People with kidney disease or a history of dehydration from vomiting or diarrhea.
• People with active eating disorders or high risk of under-eating.
• People considering gray-market peptides, research vials, or compounded products labeled as VK2735.

The most conservative interpretation is that VK2735 belongs in the clinical trial setting until safety, dosing, and regulatory review are complete.

How does VK2735 compare with other weight-loss drug candidates?

VK2735 is notable because Viking is developing both oral and injectable versions of the same dual GLP-1/GIP agonist. That could be useful if future data support switching from injection to tablet maintenance, but this remains an unproven clinical strategy.

Compared with approved therapies, VK2735 has less evidence. Approved drugs have completed larger, longer registration trials and have prescribing labels. VK2735’s oral data are promising but still short-term.

Compared with other pipeline candidates, VK2735 sits in a crowded and fast-moving obesity research landscape. Readers may also want to compare:

• Retatrutide vs tirzepatide for dual versus triple incretin comparisons.
• Retatrutide vs semaglutide for weight loss for GLP-1 versus multi-agonist context.
• Cagrilintide for weight loss and amycretin for weight loss for amylin-based approaches.
• MariTide for weight loss, mazdutide for weight loss, and survodutide for weight loss for other incretin-pathway candidates.
• Pemvidutide for weight loss and fatty liver for a related metabolic drug-development angle.

The careful takeaway: VK2735 is promising, especially because of the oral tablet data, but it is too early to call it superior to approved drugs or other late-stage candidates.